


The Lost Treasure

by Sayuki_Kagami



Series: It started with a letter [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-02-20 17:50:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2437643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sayuki_Kagami/pseuds/Sayuki_Kagami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For better understanding, please do read my work "Letter"!</p><p>Rating will go higher in future chapters!</p><p>---</p><p>If not found soon enough, lost things will remain lost forever. Can Nico find his sea prince before it was too late?</p><p>----<br/>[CURRENTLY DISCONTINUED BUT NOT ABANDONED. I WILL GET BACK TO IT WHEN I AM INSPIRED]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I decided to continue the story! I hope I do my plot justice.. ;; ^ ;;

Percy stood in front of the River Lethe, watching the dark waters churn silently. One quick dip and he would forget everything. He would forget all those painful memories of Tartarus, of not being able to save his friends. He turned around to give Mrs. O'Leary a hug. The hellhound was tired after bringing him here.

"Thank you," he murmured, rubbing her head. "You're a good girl, Mrs. O'Leary."

The hellhound whined softly as she licked Percy's face. The sea prince was going to miss her. He was going to miss a lot of things. His mom, his friends, Camp Half-Blood and... Nico. Percy's heart clenched as he thought of the Italian. He loves Nico, he really does, but he was afraid. After going to Tartarus with Annabeth, their relationship wasn't the same. A rocky month after the war with Gaea and they decided to break up. It wasn't that they didn't love each other; it was more on that it hurt them too much to be near the other. They would look at each other but see the monsters they've killed. They would hold hands but feel the grit from their swords as they trudged past Tartarus. They let each other down in there.

Nico had been the one to go to Percy after the break up. He had been the one constantly supporting the son of Poseidon. At first it was just spending a few moments together, then they were sparring and eating lunch together until they were comfortable enough to hang out in each other's cabin. During the first night Nico stayed at Percy's cabin, he had woken up Nico because he started screaming in his sleep. What happened in Tartarus haunted him even in his dreams. Nico held him close and murmured words of comfort while stroking his hair until he had fallen asleep again. It was the first time in a long time that he felt completely safe in someone else's arms. From then on, Percy kept seeking Nico's company until he found himself falling for the ghost king. And when he finally had the guts to confess to Nico, he was surprised to find out that the younger demigod had returned his feelings for him. For the first few month of their relationship, Percy was happy. Then the doubt and fear started to seep in.

Percy was afraid of letting Nico down the way he thought he let Annabeth down. He was afraid of disappointing him. Nico was so much stronger than him. The ghost king managed to navigate through Tartarus all by himself. And even before that, Nico had managed to survive outside of camp by himself with out the help from any one, not even his father. Percy smiled bitterly to himself. Nico was so much more of a hero than he was. Nico deserved to be with someone better.

Taking a step back from Mrs. O'Leary, Percy took a few steps forward until his feet were in the water. The last thing he saw before jumping all the way in was a pair of eyes watching him before he got knocked out by the current.

\---

The hardest part was telling Sally that Percy was gone. The grief in Sally's eyes made Nico feel horrible. He would have felt better if Sally or even Paul yelled at him. Instead, the couple told him it wasn’t his fault. Sally was in tears when she begged Nico promise to find her baby. Nico nodded and swore that he would find Percy, no matter how long it took. He would find Percy at all costs; even it would kill him. He left the Blofis house, still feeling numb. He had searched the entire riverbanks of Lethe for Percy but it was in vain. Chiron had even gone up to Olympus to ask for help but the gods refused. They cannot intervene, not even for the hero of Olympus. Nico tried to talk to Poseidon, he but to no avail. The one time he had managed to see him, the sea god looked at him with such disdainful eyes.

“Even if I knew where he was, why would I help the one who couldn’t even save my son? He would be better off without you.” Poseidon had told him, before leaving. Nico stood there in stunned silence. He could have save Percy, couldn’t he? If he had gotten there sooner, if he had read the letter faster, if it wasn’t for his damn dyslexia. His Percy would still be here. He broke down crying and barely registered that Hazel pulled him to a hug, gently rubbing his back.

“It’s not your fault, Nico.” She whispered softly.

“Lord Poseidon thinks it is.” He said, trembling.

“You know he only said that because he’s upset. Percy is his only demigod son. And the loss he suffered is great.”

“It happened because I wasn’t there for him. Like how I wasn't there for Bianca.”

“Nico, don't start doing this!”

“Doing what?”

“Blaming yourself! It isn’t you’re fault!”

“But—“

“No buts Nico! Now isn’t the time to be moping! Percy is somewhere out there! We can’t just give up because the gods won’t help us!”

Gold eyes met with dark ones and Nico nodded reluctantly.

“I promise Sally I’d bring Percy back no matter what.” He said, standing up. “I will bring Percy back.”

“And we’ll be here to help you.” Hazel smiled as she walked with her brother.

\---

After a month, Nico was starting to get desperate. The only thing that kept him going was that he knew Percy was still alive. The younger demigod took a deep breath. Percy's spirit was nowhere in the underworld. So he had to be alive. Demigods from Camp Half-Blood searched for all over America and there were even some volunteers from Camp Jupiter. Even Grover had told the nymphs and satyrs to keep an eye out for him. Nico was grateful for all the help and support his friends and fellow campers had given him but they only had so much time left.  


When three month had passed, Chiron had given the order to stop the search for the sea prince. Nico had stormed to the Big House, interrupting Chiron as he talked to some newbie campers.

“Why?!” Nico demanded, as he looked Chiron in the eyes. Chiron motioned for Nico to go inside but the son of Hades refused to move. Chiron sighed as he told the campers to leave for now.

“Nico..”

“He is somewhere out there! Why stop now??”

“Nico, we don't know where out there he is. Some campers are starting to think that this is a wild goose chase.”

“We have to bring him back.”

“And then what will happen? Percy will be without memory.”

“But he’ll get them back!” Nico argued. “I got parts of my memory back! Percy is stronger than me, I’m sure he’ll remember!”

Chiron remained still for a while. “But.. What if Percy doesn't want to remember?” He quietly asked.

Brown eyes observed the young demigod in front of him. He could see the hurt in his eyes. Nico hadn’t considered that possibility. Not at all. Chiron silently left. The boy needed his space now more than ever.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth has an idea. Nico is game with it. Hazel is the best little sister ever. Mentions of Reynabeth.
> 
> Also, Nico argues with Annabeth. And wins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD, IT'S AN UPDATE!!!
> 
> I know, I'm horrible for not updating sooner. D: I'm sorry... //rolls away

“Chiron could be right. What if… What if Percy wouldn’t want to remember? He did go to the River Lethe willingly. He jumped in willingly. He would hate me if we brought him back.” Nico whispered; his lower lip trembling as Hazel stroked his hair.

The daughter of Pluto had rode out to Camp Half Blood on Arian because Annabeth has IM-ed her that Nico had locked himself up his room again. During the 4 months of Percy’s disappearance, the daughter of Pluto had learned to rely on Annabeth more. Percy and Annabeth had been together at one point and their break up was awkward but the two had managed to remain good friends. Annabeth was the one who nudge Percy and made him realize his true feeling for the Ghost King. She hated seeing Nico like this. Her brother had gone through enough pain and when he finally got what he wanted, Percy got snatched away from him.

“He didn’t go there completely willing, Nico.” Hazel finally said.

“What do you mean?”

“Tartarus. He’s been fighting how it affected him.”

“I don't... understand?”

“The way I see it, Percy had never talked about what happened down there with anyone. Not even Annabeth. Annabeth had talked to Reyna. You talked to me. Percy kept it all in. I think… I think he did it because he didn't want to trouble anyone. His fatal flaw is loyalty. He might have kept it in because of what both camps expected from him. He was the strong, brave hero. He may not want to remember about Tartarus, but I do believe Percy would want to remember his friends here. He would want to remember you. Percy loves you, Nico.” Hazel concluded.

Nico kept quiet, pondering on Hazel’s words. He replayed all the times he had woken up and held Percy to comfort him from his nightmare. The older demigod had not said a single word of what happened in Tartarus. He would sob, he would whine but that was it. Percy never told Nico any details. Gods, how could he have been so blind?

“So I guess we better keep searching, huh, Hazel?” Nico smiled slightly as his sister beamed at him.

“Yea. Don’t give up just yet, okay, Nico?” His sister asked as she squeezed his hand. Hazel was one of the best things that ever happened to him. His sister was constantly supporting him and cheering him on. In all honesty, he wouldn't know what he would do with out her.

“I won’t.”

\---------------

When Nico had gone to the mess hall the next day, Annabeth approached him. The daughter of Athena had her hair up and a book in hands.

“Annie? What’s up?” Nico asked softly. He had noticed that her eye bags had deepened, like she stayed up all night reading. Being the child of Athena, that was completely plausible.

“I might have found something.” Annabeth said, sitting down the Hades table. They ignored the look a few younger campers had given them while the older campers knew better than to chide them. “A new lead.”

“Really?” Nico looked at her with hopeful eyes. Hazel looked slightly worried. She didn't want to give her brother any false hopes.

“What is it?” Hazel asked as Annabeth opened her book.

“The rivers are home to nymphs, naiads, to be exact.” Annabeth started. “The river of Lethe has its own special Naiad. Lethe is the daughter of Eris and underworld’s river. She’s literally the personification of forgetfulness and oblivion. Have you ever tried talking to her, Nico? She probably knows where Percy could have ended up after his dip in her waters.”

“So… you mean to say, if we find Lethe… we could find Percy?” Nico summarized.

“In theory, yes. But the thing is, I’m not sure how we would even get her to cooperate. Even if we ask for Lord Poseidon’s help, his domain is mostly salt water. Plus, naiads aren’t really that cooperative.” 

“But maybe she’ll listen to me. It is my dad’s domain.” Nico smiled slightly. They finally had a lead.

“What happens if we do find Percy but he doesn't have his memory yet?” Hazel asked curiously.

“We can either wait for it to come back or we can ask Mnemosyne, the titan of memory, for help.” Annabeth replied. “But she’ll probably ask for a price to pay so I’d rather for us to not risk it.”

“I’ll tell Chiron then.” Nico said, standing up. “And I’ll leave as soon as possible.”

“Hold up, Nico. You’re not going alone.” Hazel said.

“He won’t. I’ll go with him.” Annabeth said as the two children of the god of the underworld stared at her. “I won’t let you go alone, Nico. What if something happens down there? Besides, I want to know where Percy ended up. And you might need help in convincing Lethe to tell you. Who better to go with you to negotiate than the daughter of Athena?”

“She has a good point.” Hazel said after thinking it over. “I’d rather she go with you, Nico. I trust Annabeth.”

“Fine.” Nico sighed. “Can you please get us some supplies, Hazel? About just enough ambrosia and nectar for about 2 days. In case something happens.”

“Alright! You two head to the Big House, I’ll meet you there!” Hazel beamed as she went to do what Nico had requested.

“Does Reyna know you’re going to the Underworld with me?” Nico asked Annabeth as they made their way to the Big House.

“No.” Annabeth chuckled nervously. “I only told her I might have a lead but I didn't say where it would bring us.”

“You should tell her, you know.”

“She’s probably busy with her praetor duties.”

“She’s never too busy for you, Annabeth.”

“She might be training right now.”

“She’ll stop and make time for you.”

“She might worry her head off.”

“She loves you, of course she’ll worry.”

“Nico…”

“Just Iris Message her. She deserves to know from you, instead of hearing it from Hazel when she goes back to Camp Jupiter.”

Dark eyes met with gray ones and the blonde sighed in defeat.

“If Chiron lets us go, I’ll message her before we leave, okay?”

“Good,” Nico said, looking smug. It wasn't every day that he would win an argument against Annabeth.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to talk to the naiad, Lethe! Will she be able to help them find Percy or is it just another dead end?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, at least it didn't take me another month before I updated? haha...ha... I needed to take a break from studying and writing helps me relax.
> 
> Also, this is how I imagined Lethe to look like: http://feanne.deviantart.com/art/the-naiad-lethe-49311675
> 
> I wish this gorgeous art work was mine, but it's not. Check out feanne's dA account for more amazing works.

Brown eyes met a pair of gray eyes and dark eyes. Chiron observed Annabeth and Nico. It seemed like the duo were set on bringing Percy back no matter how hopeless it seemed.

“Alright.” He sighed, standing up. “You two may go on the condition that you have to return as soon as Lethe tells you what she knows. We will decide on how to act when you both come back, safely. Understood?”

Nico wanted to protest. If they do get a lead, he would want to follow up as soon as possible. His sea prince had been gone for months the trail wouldn't be as fresh any more.

“Of course.” Annabeth said as she gave Nico a look. Nico knew better to protest. Annabeth misses her best friend as much as he did but she knew better than to act brashly. They didn't need any more missing campers, after all.

“Good. When do you plan on leaving?” Chiron asked walked with them going outside.

“Hazel went to get supplies for us. Once she gets here, Nico and I will depart.” Annabeth replied.

“We’ll leave after Annabeth contacts Reyna that she’s leaving.” Nico added smugly.

The daughter of Athena rolled her eyes but dug into her pocket for a drachma. “Excuse me.” She sighed as she went towards a fountain, walking around it to find the reflection of a rainbow.

Nico watched as the daughter of Athena threw a coin into the fountain.

“O, Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering. Show me Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano at Camp Jupiter!”

The coin disappeared mid-air as the light shimmered and an image of Reyna formed. Nico turned and left the two to talk. It wouldn't be polite for him to listen in on them. Nico watched as the campers went on with their activities.

“Nico!” Hazel said, walking towards him with the supplies. “I’ve got what you needed.”

“Thanks Hazel.” Nico smiled softly, watching his sister with fond eyes.

“No problem, Nico.” Hazel replied. “Stay safe, okay? You guys don't know how Lethe would react to your request.”

“We’ll stay as safe as possible. Besides, the underworld is my domain, Hazel.” Nico reasoned as he got the bag from Hazel.

“Are we going now?” Annabeth said as she approached the siblings.

“How was your talk with Reyna?” Nico asked, grinning slightly.

“Difficult.” Annabeth grumbled. “Frank’s waiting for you to get back, Hazel. You better get going too.”

“Alright! IM me on how it goes!” She said as she headed towards the pegasi stables.

“Lets get going, ghost king.” Annabeth said as she placed a hand on the Italian’s shoulder.

Nico nodded and walked into the shadows. The next thing Annabeth knew, they were in front of the black river that was quietly bubbling away, gray wisps would appear every now and then as the currents flowed.

“Any ideas on how to get her to show?” Nico asked, looking at Annabeth.

“Well… I thought that since your dad owns the place here, she would listen to you?” Annabeth said, looking uncomfortable. “There are no texts on how to summon a naiad, after all.”

Nico looked at her with disbelief. Annabeth _didn't have a plan._ That was rare. Well, the chance of this working was rare too, so who was he to judge?

“Alright. Let’s hope this works.” Nico murmured as he stood in front of the water.

“Careful… One drop and you know what would happen.”

“I know,” Nico responded as he took a deep breath. “Lethe? Are you here?” 

Silence.

He glanced back at Annabeth and she motioned for him to continue.

“It’s me. Nico di Angelo, son of Hades. I took a swim here when I was ten? That was probably about 80-ish years ago. Alecto brought me here with my sister. But I also came back here with my two cousins. Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus and Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. We fought Iapetus, you know, Bob, and threw him in the water. Percy went here a few months ago. I know he jumped in. Please...” Nico was whispering by this point, desperation seeping into his voice as he sat down on the riverbank. “Please, help us. Tell us where he is.”

Minutes pass in silence. Annabeth sat down beside the younger male. It was futile. Lethe was never going to answer them. The naiad had better use of her time than talking to two demigods.

“He was here.”

Annabeth and Nico’s heads snapped up as they saw that a woman standing on the other side. She was pale and had silver gray hair. Her dress looked like wisps of smoke, swirling around her petite body.

“I am Lethe. You called for me, Nico di Angelo?” She asked, her voice barely audible.

“Yes! I… You actually heard me.” Nico said, astonished.

“It was hard not to.” She said, mildly amused. “It’s usually quiet in these parts.”

“So… Do you know where Percy went?” 

“Yes.”

The two demigods stared at the river nymph and she stared back.

“Will you tell us where he went?” Annabeth asked softly.

“I’m afraid I cannot.” She replied, watching them.

“How come?” Nico asked, trying not to lose his temper. She knows! She knows and she won’t say a thing! “If there’s a price for this information, tell us! We’ll pay for it! Just… please, tell me where he is… please…”

Lethe shook her head; the sadness in her eyes was evident.

“I swore on Styx that I would not say where the son of Lord Poseidon ended up.”

“Will you tell us who made you swear that?” Annabeth piped in.

“You are smart, daughter of Lady Athena. But I am sorry I cannot say whom either. They made sure not to leave any loop hole.”

Nico swore in Italian. Were they going to go back to camp empty handed again? It seems like the gods themselves were set on keeping Percy hidden. Nico turned, wanting to leave when…

“I will tell you this though. The son of Poseidon lives and you are on the right track. Do not give up. You will encounter some challenges but all will be revealed in due time.” Lethe hesitated to say more as she glanced around. “That is all I can reveal to you. Best of luck, Nico di Angelo.”

“Wait!” Nico said reaching out to her but Annabeth pulled him back.

“Careful Nico. You almost touched the water.” Annabeth chided. “We’ve learned all that we can, let’s head back for now.”

“Alright.” Nico sighed. “Let’s go back and tell Chiron.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiiii. I am so sorry it took me a month to update. D: College life. ;; - ;; Well, my Christmas break started last December 20 but I was too drained from my hectic finals week so I'm only uploading now. Also, today or yesterday [December 23], depending on your timezone is/was my birthday! > ^

Once the two demigods returned from their visit to the underworld, they sought out the camp director.

“Will! Have you seen Chiron?” Nico asked as he and Annabeth approached the son of Apollo.

“He’s at the archery range with some of my siblings and some of Lord Dionysius’ kids.” Will said, holding the hand of a flustered Jake Mason.

“Ditching lessons, huh?” Annabeth asked, shaking her head slightly.

“You ditch lessons today too!’ Will countered.

“With permission from Chiron, Solace.” Nico said, rolling his eyes. “Just make sure he doesn’t catch you two. Come on, Annabeth.”

Annabeth sighed but followed Nico to the archery range. Chiron was walking behind the demigods, giving out pointers and adjusting their grips every now and then.

“Chiron!” Annabeth called, waving at him.

“Self practice for now.” Chiron said to his students as he walked towards Annabeth and Nico. The campers grumbled but nodded as they started to train.

“How was it?” Chiron asked the two as he placed his quiver down.

“It was… kind of helpful.” Annabeth said before launching into telling the story. All the while, Chiron listened quietly.

“So, that’s what happened. We know Percy’s alive and someone took him but we don’t know why.” Annabeth finished.

“Well, it seems as though who ever took Percy doesn’t want to hurt him. They’ll probably reveal to us where Percy is in due time.” Chiron mused, stroking his beard.

“Are you sure it’s not Hera again?” Nico asked as the skies rumbled.

“I wouldn’t advice for you to accuse the wife of Zeus,” Chiron warned, looking up at the skies.

“Sorry,” Nico snorted, looking at Annabeth. “So, what now? We just sit and wait until some sign appears?”

“We have no other choice,” She sighed. “Back to training for us. Don’t want to get chubby while waiting for Percy.”

Nico smiled slightly. He knew Annabeth was trying to cheer him up. She was trying to cheer him up.

“Alright. I suppose it’s time for me to train to with Clarisse.” The son of Hades said as he head towards the arena.

\---

Later that night, Nico was back in his cabin, staring out the window as leaned on his bed. He closed his eyes, remembering the first time the son of Poseidon had visited him. 

_FLASHBACK_

It was a cold night. Clouds were scattered in the sky but there wasn’t enough to cover the stars. It was one of Nico’s favorite nighttime weathers. He was watching the stars from the peace of his cabin. It was refreshing to have a place to stay at. He could never do this while traveling. He was always alert in fear of monsters out to kill him. It was great because the other campers would never dare to bother him, so he was surprised when he heard some one knock on the door. It was past curfew already and no one would dare face the wrath of the harpies at night. To Nico’s pleasant surprise, when he opened, the door, a very adorable Sea Prince was standing there, hair ruffled and shivering from the cold.

“Percy. Come in.” Nico said, stepping sideways.

“Thanks, Neeks.” Percy smiled as he went in.

“Why are you here so late?” The Ambassador of Pluto asked, closing the door behind him.

“I couldn’t sleep.” The older teen confessed, as he smiled sheepishly.

“Nightmares again, Percy?” Nico asked as he sat down on his bed. He held his arms out, inviting Percy to come to him.

“Yea…” Percy murmured as he dove into the hug. Nico was warm. He was very, very warm and comforting. Percy could never really do this with Annabeth. He loves her but he couldn’t bring himself to show weakness in front of her. Annabeth understood him. She always did. She understood why he did that and Percy was grateful for still having her in his life. Not as lovers anymore but as friends, best friends, of course.

“You know you could tell me.” Nico whispered as he stroked Percy’s hair.  


“Maybe next time…” Percy yawned, falling asleep in Nico’s arms.

_END OF FLASHBACK_

\---

The next few days had been testing the son of Hades' patience until one day, Nico had woken up the next day to the sound of knocking.

“Nico! Wake up!” Annabeth called, banging on the door.

“Annabeth? It’s way too early for this.” Nico complained, opening the door. He rubbed his eyes, still sleepy.

“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty.” Will called, laughing. “Also, nice bed hair.”

“Will? What the hell are you doing here?” He asked, yawning.

“Not just Will is here.” Another voice piped in.

“Rachel? You too?” The Italian looked behind Annabeth with a raised eyebrow. “You three are here with… books? Why the hell are you here so early? Are you trying to recruit me into joining a book club?”

“Nope, we’re going to do some research!” Rachel grinned, walking in his cabin and placing the books on his table.

“Yea, sure, fell free to enter,” he snorted, as he moved so that Annabeth and Will can come in as well.

“I brought some breakfast muffins,” Will grinned as he held up a paper bag.

“So what’s the research for?” Nico smiled, closing the door.

“Well, It’s for Percy.” Annabeth replied, shoving a book into Nico’s arms.

“Are we trying to find him again? Chiron said… that we should wait for some kind of sign first.” Nico murmured.

“No, it’s different. These are psychology books.” Will answered, handing Rachel a muffin.

“And before you protest that something’s not wrong with Percy, we all know there is. After the Giant War, he started acting… differently.” Rachel sighed softly.

“And even if we do find him and bring back his memories, if we can’t do anything to help him with his problems, he might try to jump back in Lethe or do something worse.” Annabeth supplied.

“You guys… Thank you…” Nico said, smiling slightly.

“Yea, yea. Now, you should probably wear some pants,” Rachel chuckled, pointing at his Finding Nemo boxers.

“It was hot last night and these were a gift from Sally!” Nico protested as her grabbed his pants from the floor.

Nico had changed a lot after the Giant War. Jason and Will had managed to coax him out of his shell and, although he wasn’t the social butterfly that Leo was, he was starting to talk to more people. Annabeth shook her head, smiling fondly at her friends. These happy moments would be happier if they had Percy with them. And they will. They’ll find him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if this chapter isn't what you expected it to be.
> 
> In the next chapter, we'll be talking about different psychological illnesses! I actually learned these from my psychology class for last term as well as doing my own additional research. :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The demigods find themselves talking about PTSD and while doing so, get a quest from Lady Aphrodite!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, this is way over due. it's been over two months since I've last updated. //groans
> 
> I have been way busy with school and family. I've also ended up having a few mental break downs and just crying because of all of the stress. I really don't wanna dump my rant here so I'll stop. ^^;;

They had been reading for the past hour until Annabeth had the eureka moment.

“Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Annabeth said, rubbing her eyes. “It makes perfect sense.”

“How come?” Rachel asked as she closed her book.

“Well, Percy has shown the symptoms. He tries to avoid training around a lot of people and he gets jumpy easily to the noises. He has nightmares. You can’t deny that. No one can deny that. You can practically hear him. And well… the first few weeks after the war, he would avoid me.” Annabeth sighed. “We barely talk for more that a few minutes. To be honest, the only times he would leave his cabin was either to eat or when you were back from the underworld. Those are all the signs of PTSD. Hyper vigilant, intrusive symptoms and avoidance.”

They all stared at her, letting what she said sink in.

“It makes sense.” Will said after a while, closing the book he was holding.

“Can’t we just… Ask Lord Apollo to help him?” Piper asked, sitting beside Rachel.

“I wish we could just ask my dad to heal him but mental illnesses… It’s not something you can force someone to talk about or make them take medicine. Percy should want to talk about it because repressing bad memories isn’t good.” Will sighed, leaning back on to the chair. “He needs to want us to help him too or else he’ll end up feeling cornered and attacked.”

“When we get him back… I’ll talk to him about it, okay?” Nico softly said, staring out at the lake. He was lucky to have had Will, Jason and Reyna to be there for him. He was able to talk to his friends about it. Percy… Percy was always the hero of both camps. He couldn’t look weak or in pain. He was someone that the campers looked up too. Percy would always smile but there were times when Nico would catch that sad look in his eyes. He tried asking Percy about it before but he would just shrug it off and change topics or give Nico those huge puppy dog eyes, saying that he’s tired and doesn’t want to talk about it.

“Well, now that that’s sorted out, we need to find him.” Rachel said.

“Well then dearie, maybe I can help with that.” A sing - song voice said.

The demigods quickly looked back to see Lady Aphrodite leaning on the wall, looking amused.

“Mom! What are you doing here?” Piper asked, smiling softly.

“I’m here to give the son of Hades a quest.” She hummed softly.

“Yea, I don’t know if you’ve heard but I’m kind of busy at the moment.” Nico huffed, not looking at her. It was too painful to look at the goddess with the brilliant sea green eyes.

“On the search for Perseus.” Aphrodite said, checking her nails. “I know that you’ve tried to talk to Lord Poseidon and it… didn't go well.”

Nico stiffened at the memory but nodded, glancing at his friends.

“Not to be disrespectful, but why are you bringing that up, Lady Aphrodite?” Annabeth cautiously asked.

“Because the quest involves you going to the ocean. You see, I as I was riding my chariot, looking at the mortals in love, the pearl from my girdle fell into the ocean.” She sighed dramatically. “And I would have loved to get it myself but I had just gotten my nails done, you see and Lord Poseidon doesn’t really want me in his realm.”

“Why—”

“Well, it’s a realm thing you see. I came from the sea so he’s a bit… possessive of it…” The goddess of love huffed, interrupting Annabeth. “Then there’s the thing with Perseus and his multiple broken hearts but at least I fixed it in the end! I mean, it was the least I could do, fixing his love life as well as all of yours. As much as I love broken hearts and tragic endings, having a happy ending is way better. After all, I relish the love radiating from you when I see you happy.”

The demigods remained quiet as they watched the goddess of love, her form different in each of their eyes.

“How do we even retrieve the pearl? None of us can breath underwater.” Piper said after a while.

“Oh sweetie, don’t worry about that. I called in a favor from Lord Poseidon. One of his sons will fetch you from here.” Aphrodite hummed, handing a piece of paper with coordinates on it. “You simply just have to get there in time.”

“And how much time do we have?” Annabeth asked sounding cross as she folded the paper.

“You have a day to get there.”

“WHAT?!”

“Well, I must get going! Good luck, dearies!” Aphrodite winked as the Greek goddess of love was surrounded a golden glow.

The demigods looked away as the light brightened. Only when it dimmed, did they dare to look.

“I’ll tell Chiron what happened.” Rachel said, standing up. “You guys need to decide who’s going on this quest.”

“Rachel is right.” Piper said as the oracle of Delphi went out. “We should decide now.”

“I’m going.” Nico stated as he got up. “Maybe I can get another shot at talking to Lord Poseidon.”

“Hazel should go too.” Will said, keeping his books.

“But—”

“Nico, let’s face it, if you’re going to find a pearl at the depths of the ocean, you’ll need her to be there. You’ll have a higher chance of finding it faster.” The son of Apollo said, looking sternly at him.

“I’ll be going too.” Annabeth said, standing up. “Percy is my best friend and I can’t bare not knowing what’s happening. Besides having two children of the underworld going underwater? You guys would probably get a panic attack.”

“Yea, but Lord Poseidon doesn’t get along with Lady Athena.” Piper pointed out.

“Well, at least I know how to swim and if, I mean when, Percy comes back, he’s going to throw a tantrum when he finds out that his dad tried to drown us or something. Now come on, we should get packing. Nico, IM Hazel as soon as you finish packing and don’t you try to leave with out me. Will, can you get us some supplies, please? And Piper, you’ll be in charge with Jason while we’re gone. Just make sure Leo doesn’t accidentally set the camp on fire… again.” The daughter of Athena ordered, shaking her head at the memory. The fire bender was trying to show off his abilities to Calypso and had almost set fire to their library.

“Yes, Ma’am!” Piper grinned, doing a mock salute.

Nico rolled his eyes as his friends went out of his cabin. His friends could be such dorks sometimes but they were supportive and he couldn’t imagine his life without them. Getting back to the task at hand, the ghost king sighed. This was going to be a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if it's not up to par.. OTL Please tell me if I made any grammatical or informational mistakes.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave comments! If I made any grammatical or spelling errors, don't be shy to point them out. Thank you for viewing and reading my work.


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